Child-resistant lighter having a flexing latch

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to disposable cigarette lighters which have a latch member which is intended to resist inadvertent operation and to make undesirable operation by unintended operators more difficult. The lighter preferably includes a latch member which in its initial condition blocks movement of the actuator in order to resist operation of the lighter. The latch member is movable to a ready position so that the actuator may be depressed in order to produce a flame. It is preferred that the lighter contain additional or alternative forces on the latch member to improve the ability of the latch member to return to the blocking position over the life of the lighter and to improve the consistency of the latch member&#39;s movement and return. In some of the embodiments, this additional or alternative force is provided by a bending moment or flexing force preferably applied to the latch member through a flexing mechanism to flex the latch along at least a portion of its length. Alternatively or in addition to, a biasing member may assist in returning the latch member to the initial position over the life of the lighter and improve the consistency of the latch force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to disposable lighters and moreparticularly to such lighters which present increased difficulty ofoperation by unintended users.

2. Background Art

Disposable lighters are available in a variety of forms. One typicallycommon element of disposable lighters is an actuator pad used to releasefuel from a reservoir in the lighter. The actuator pad may be used inconjunction with a spark-producing mechanism so that the fuel is ignitedsoon after it is released. For example, lighters employing conventionalspark wheels require a user to rotate a toothed spark wheel against aflint in order to generate a spark. The user then depresses the actuatorpad to release and ignite the fuel.

Instead of using a spark wheel, some disposable lighters usepiezoelectric mechanisms to generate a spark. In this type of ignitionmechanism, a piezoelectric element, such as crystal, is struck by aplexor in order to produce an electric spark where the fuel is releasedfrom the lighter. An example of such a piezoelectric ignition mechanismis disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,697, entitled “PiezoelectricMechanism for Gas Lighters.” Typically, actuator pads for disposablelighters using piezoelectric elements are configured and sized to bothrelease fuel and generate a spark so that a user need only push theactuator pad to operate the lighter.

Lighters have been developed to resist undesired operation by unintendedusers. One typical response is to provide a latch which inhibitsinadvertent activation of the actuator pad and makes operation of thelighter more difficult for unintended users. Examples of such latchesare illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,077,070; 6,022,211; 5,885,069 and5,228,849. The latches in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,022,211; 5,885,069 and5,228,849 are made of a plastic material formed integrally with theactuator pad so that it interferes with the lighter housing to block theactuator pad from being depressed but also permits the latch to be movedinwards into a non-interfering position which allows the actuator pad tobe depressed. FIGS. 1 a-1 c illustrate such a latch in various stages ofoperation from an initial blocking position (FIG. 1 a), a ready ornon-blocking position (FIG. 1 b), and an actuated position (FIG. 1 c).

As shown in FIG. 1 a, when the lighter is not in use and the latch is inits initial position, a stop on the outer portion of the latch ispositioned in an interfering or blocking relationship with the housingof the lighter to reduce the chance of inadvertent operation of thelighter. In this regard, the latch may be assembled in the lighter in amanner such that it is preloaded and biased into the blocked position.Operation of the lighter thus requires a user to first move the stop onthe latch out of interference with the housing by pressing the latchmember inwardly. (See FIG. 1 b). The latch member bends at itsconnection to the actuator pad until the latch member contacts a catchmechanism that holds the latch member in order to keep the stop frominterfering with the housing. Once the latch member is held by the catchmechanism, the user no longer needs to press the latch to keep it frominterfering with the housing. Thus, the user is free to operate thelighter by activating the actuator pad. (See FIG. 1 c). The latch memberis released from the catch mechanism during motion of the actuator padso that when the actuator pad returns to its initial position, the latchmember returns to its initial blocking position. Over time, the abilityof the latch member to return to its initial blocking position may bediminished as shown in FIG. 1 d. It is desirable for the latch member toreturn to its blocking position repeatedly over the life of the lighterand with consistent latch force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a lighter having improved resistanceto inadvertent or unintended use is disclosed. One aspect of the lighteris directed to providing a force to a latch member so that the latchmember flexes or bends to improve its ability to return to aninterfering relationship with the lighter housing after completed use ofthe lighter. A component, assembly, or mechanism may apply a force tothe latch member so that the latch member will return to its blockingposition more readily or so that the force to unlock the latch memberwill not reduce to the same extent over time and usage of the lighter.

In one embodiment, the lighter is configured to apply a flexing orbending force to a latch member which causes the latch to flex or bendto improve its ability to return to the initial or at rest positionwhere the latch member blocks movement of an actuator or so that theforce to unlock the latch member will not substantially diminish withtime. This flexing or bending force may be applied by the housing of thelighter or other components of the lighter near the latch member, suchas the ignition mechanism, a cammed surface, a catch mechanism, or thelike, which are configured and adapted to cause the latch member to flexor bend. In one embodiment, this flexing or bending force is applied asthe latch member is held in the ready position. Alternatively or inaddition to, the flexing or bending force is applied as the latch memberreturns from an actuated position back to its initial position. Inanother embodiment, a biasing force, such as by a spring, is applied tothe latch to move the latch into its initial interfering position uponcompleted use of the lighter.

The lighter, according to one embodiment, comprises a housing having afuel reservoir, an actuator for selectively releasing fuel from the fuelreservoir, an ignition mechanism for igniting the fuel, an optionalcatch mechanism, an optional release member, and a latch member. Theactuator is preferably mounted for movement with respect to the lighterhousing and is movable from a first position to an actuation position.The actuator may comprise a valve controller and actuator button. Thevalve controller may undergo pivotal motion to operate the valve. In oneembodiment, the actuator is movable along the longitudinal axis of thelighter. The ignition mechanism preferably is coupled to the actuator sothat operation of the actuator operates the ignition mechanism.

The latch member is movable from an initial blocking position, in whichthe stop on the latch member interferes with the housing in order tomake substantial movement of the actuator more difficult, to a readyposition in which the latch member and stop are held by a catchmechanism so that they do not interfere with the housing. The latchmember may be integrally coupled to the actuator. In one embodiment, thelatch member is formed integrally with the actuator.

In one embodiment, the catch mechanism is formed from a skirt coupled tothe actuator which extends in the direction of the actuation axis of theactuator. In this embodiment, the skirt or catch mechanism, latchmember, and actuator move along the actuation axis together when theactuator is activated by a user. The latch member is held in its readyposition by moving the latch through an opening in the skirt. Either thelatch member or the opening in the skirt, or both, may be configured andadapted so that the latch member is held in a ready position after ithas moved through the opening. The lighter further includes a releasemechanism so that as the actuator is depressed, the latch member isreleased from the catch mechanism so that it is no longer held in theready position. In a preferred embodiment, the release mechanismcomprises a cam which releases the latch member from the catchmechanism.

In one embodiment, the lighter is further configured and adapted so thata portion of the latch member is imparted with a force which flexes orbends the latch member to assist in returning the latch to a positionwhere it will block actuation of the lighter. Preferably, a flexure orbending moment is imparted to the latch member to assist in returningthe latch to its initial blocking position. The flexing of or thebending moment imparted into the latch member assists in returning thelatch member to the blocking position over the life of the lighter.

Many mechanisms are available to impart such a flex or bending movementinto the latch member to bias or assist in biasing the latch member intothe blocked position after operation of the lighter. For example, thelatch member may be sized and configured to interact with the housing orcomponents of the lighter in a manner to flex the latch in order tocause the latch to return to a ready position. For example, a force maybe imparted to the lower portion of the latch member by the ignitionmechanism, a cam surface or other lighter component to push the latchagainst the housing, the housing imparting a counterbalancing orcounteracting force which flexes or bends the latch member. A protrusionor stop member may be formed on the latch member which acts as a fulcrumwhich abuts against the housing and applies a counterbalancing forcewhich bends the latch. When the actuator is returned (moves upwardly)and the protrusion or stop member no longer acts as a fulcrum, the forceapplied at the bottom of the latch member returns the latch member tothe blocked position. Alternatively or additionally, the releasemechanism, and in particular the cam, can be configured with the latchmember to impart a bending moment into the latch member or flex thelatch member to return to the blocked position. The catch mechanism alsomay be configured and adapted to impart a bending moment or flex thelatch to return the latch member to the blocked position. In anotherembodiment, a spring may provide the force to assist in returning thelatch to its initial blocking position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To facilitate an understanding of the characteristics, structure andoperation of the invention, the following drawings having preferredfeatures have been provided wherein:

FIG. 1 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a conventionalprior art lighter having a latch coupled to an actuator pad wherein thelatch is in an initial blocking position;

FIG. 1 b is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a conventionalprior art lighter having a latch coupled to an actuator pad wherein thelatch is in a ready position;

FIG. 1 c is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a conventionalprior art lighter having a latch coupled to an actuator pad wherein theactuator pad has been activated to ignite the lighter;

FIG. 1 d is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a conventionalprior art lighter having a latch coupled to an actuator pad wherein theconnection has been weakened from the initial state;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a lighter in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention with portions removed for purposesof clarity:

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of an actuator, catch mechanism, and latch inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a lighter madein accordance with an embodiment of the present invention with a latchmember in a blocking position;

FIG. 4 b is an enlarged partial side view of the lighter of FIG. 4 a;

FIG. 5 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIGS. 4 a-4 b wherein the latch member is in a ready position;

FIG. 5 b is an enlarged partial side view of the lighter of FIG. 5 a;

FIG. 6 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIGS. 4 a-4 b with the latch member in an actuated position;

FIG. 6 b is a partial side view of the lighter of FIG. 6 a;

FIG. 7 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIGS. 4 a-4 b with the latch member as it travels upwardly back towardits initial blocking position;

FIG. 7 b is a partial side view of the lighter of FIG. 7 a;

FIG. 8 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a lighter havingan actuator and a latch member formed in accordance with anotherembodiment of the present invention wherein the latch is in a readyposition;

FIG. 8 b is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIG. 8 a wherein the actuator has been activated to ignite the lighter;

FIG. 8 c is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIG. 8 a wherein the activator and latch have returned to the initialblocking position;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a lighter inaccordance with another embodiment of the present invention with aspring biasing the latch member toward a blocking position;

FIG. 10 a is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of anotherembodiment of a lighter in accordance with the present invention with acatch mechanism stationary with respect to the housing;

FIG. 10 b is an enlarged partial side view of the actuator, latchmember, and cam assembly of FIG. 10 a;

FIG. 10 c is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIG. 10 a with the latch in a ready position;

FIG. 10 d is an enlarged partial side view of FIG. 10 c;

FIG. 10 e is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the lighter ofFIG. 10 a with the actuator depressed;

FIG. 10 f is an enlarged partial side view of FIG. 10 e;

FIG. 10 g is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lighter of FIG. 10a with the latch member as it travels upwardly back toward its initialposition; and

FIG. 10 h is an enlarged partial side view of FIG. 10 g.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is directed to a lighter having an improvedresistance to inadvertent or unintended operation. As shown in FIG. 2,the lighter 8 includes a housing 18 or body portion that holds a fuelsupply 28, a valve 30 associated with fuel supply 28 to selectivelyrelease fuel therefrom, a selectively depressible actuator 10 to operatethe lighter, an ignition mechanism 32 for igniting the fuel, a latchmember 16 to render the lighter more difficult to inadvertently orunintentionally operate, an optional catch mechanism 22 (not shown) totemporarily hold the latch member 16, and an optional release mechanism14 to release the latch member from the catch mechanism 22.

The ignition mechanism 32 of the lighter 8 preferably includes apiezoelectric ignition mechanism, although the present invention is notlimited to a particular type of ignition mechanism. One suitablepiezoelectric mechanism for the lighter 8 is disclosed in U.S. Pat, No.5,262,697, entitled “Piezoelectric Mechanism for Gas Lighters” which isexpressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Anothersuitable type of ignition mechanism that can be used with the presentinvention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,144 to Iwahori. Otherignitors may include those disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,228,849 and 6,022,211. Because ignition mechanisms and relatedcomponents for lighters are well-known in the art, one of ordinary skillin the art would readily appreciate how to select suitable materials forthe various components for a lighter ignition system.

The fuel supply 28 of the lighter 8 is preferably controlled by a valve30 that allows a user to selectively release fuel from the fuel supply28. Preferably, the valve 30 is controlled by actuating the actuator 10.FIGS. 3, 4 a-b, 5 a-b, 6 a-b, and 7 a-b illustrate an enlarged view ofone or more of actuator 10, latch member 16, catch mechanism 22 andrelease mechanism 14 of one embodiment of the present invention.Preferably, the ignition mechanism 32 and valve 30 are configured andadapted so that a user presses actuating pad 34 of the actuator 10 toboth release and ignite fuel gas. In operation, when actuator 10 isdepressed it moves the top portion of the ignition mechanism 32 andcontacts a valve controller 11 to move valve 30 to release fuel.Alternatively, a portion of the ignition mechanism may contact and movecontroller 11 to release fuel.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 a-4 b, the actuator 10is formed with a downwardly extending skirt 36 that fits inside thelighter housing 18. The latch member 16 preferably is formed as alongitudinally downwardly projecting tongue that is integrally connectedwith the actuator 10. It is preferred that the latch member 16 is formedintegrally with the actuator 10 to form a bending connection 38.Alternatively, the latch member can be formed separately from theactuator and may be connected to the actuator by almost any type ofconnection, such as, for example, a pivoting connection.

Preferably, the latch member 16 is sized and configured to furtherinclude a stop 20 which blocks activation of the actuator 10 when thelatch member 16 is in an interfering relationship with the lighterhousing. The stop 20 may be formed as a bump or step-profile on theouter surface of the latch member 16 located above the lighter housing18 so that downward movement of the actuator 10 is blocked by stop 20abutting against and interfering with lighter housing 18. As one ofordinary skill in the art would appreciate, many variations of a stop 20are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. For instance, the latch member 16 may be configured with acavity that corresponds to a tab or step formed on the inside surface ofthe housing 18. FIGS. 2 and 4 a-b illustrate the latch and lighterhousing when the latch is in its initial state where the latch blocksmovement of the actuator 10. The latch 16 may be pre-loaded when it isassembled into the lighter housing such that the resiliency of the latchbiases it toward the interfering initial position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4a-4 b.

The lighter 8 preferably includes a catch mechanism 22 which engageswith and holds the latch member 16 in a ready position where it does notsignificantly interfere with movement of the actuator 10. As shown inFIGS. 4 a-b and 5 a-b, the actuator 10 may be formed with a downwardlyextending skirt 36, portions of which may form catch mechanism 22. In apreferred embodiment, the catch mechanism 22 is formed from at least onedownwardly extending tongue 6, preferably two tongues 6, in proximity tothe latch member 16 so that when the latch member 16 is moved by a userfrom a blocking position to a ready position (i.e., the latch member 16is no longer positioned to block movement of the actuator 10) the catchmechanism 22 engages with and holds the latch member 16 in the readyposition as shown in FIGS. 5 a-5 b.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4-7, at least one flexible tab shapedmember(s) 40 extends outwardly from the side edge of the latch member16, as shown, for example, in FIGS. 4 b and 5 b, so that when the latchmember 16 is pressed by a user, the tabs 40 contact the edge 12 of skirt36 that forms catch mechanism 22. Application of sufficient force uponthe latch member 16 by the user will flex the catch mechanism 22 and/ortabs 40 until the tabs 40 pass from the outside surface 46 of the skirt36 to the inside surface 44. (See FIGS. 4 a-5 b). While the tabs 40and/or skirt 36 are sufficiently flexible to permit a user to push thelatch member 16 and tabs 40 through the skirt 36, the tabs 40 and skirt36 are preferably sufficiently stiff to counter any force, for examplefrom the latch member 16 or other components or mechanisms, so that thetabs 40 are held in position behind the skirt 36 upon release of thelatch member 16 by the user. Once the latch member 16 is securely heldin position by the catch mechanism 22 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 a-b, thelighter is in the ready position where the latch no longer interfereswith the housing and the user may then operate the lighter 8 by pressingdown the actuator 10. One skilled in the art would appreciate that thelatch member 16 and catch mechanism 22 may be sized and configured inmany ways so that the catch mechanism 22 engages with and holds thelatch member 16 in the ready position. For example, flexible tabs mayextend from the edge 12 of the side skirts 36 to hold the latch member16 in place.

The lighter 8 also preferably includes a release mechanism 14 whichcauses the latch member 16 to disengage from the catch mechanism 22. Therelease mechanism 14 may comprise a cam to dislodge the latch member 16from the catch mechanism. As shown in FIGS. 6 a and 6 b for example, thecatch mechanism 22 and latch member 16 are brought into contact with camas the user depresses the actuator 10 so that the cam separates ordislodges the latch member 16 from the catch mechanism 22. As shown inFIGS. 4 a, 5 a, 6 a, and 7 a, the cam preferably has an angled surface42. The angled surface and position of cam may be configured to applysufficient force to release the latch member 16 from the catch mechanism22 when the user presses the actuator 10 to operate the lighter 8.Alternatively or in addition to, the cam also may have angled sidesurfaces 24 as illustrated in FIGS. 5 b and 6 b which cause the sideskirts 36 to spread apart and release latch member 16. As the camsurface 24 spreads side skirts 36 apart, cam surface 24 may move thelower end of the latch so that the tabs are positioned on the outsidesurface 46 of the side skirts 36.

The cam is sized and positioned so that the forces it imparts on thelatch member 16 and catch mechanism 22 are sufficient to disengage thetabs 40 from the inside surface 44 of the catch mechanism 22. As statedabove and shown in FIGS. 6 a-6 b, the lower surface 26 of the latchmember 16 may be sized and configured to assist in releasing the latchmember 16 from the catch mechanism 22 as the latch member 16 travelsacross the cam. Preferably, the surfaces 26 and 42 of the latch member16 and cam that contact each other are configured and adapted to permitsliding with respect to each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, thelatch lower surface 26 may have an angle αapproximately correspondingto, and preferably the same as, the angle u of the cam surface 42 thatit contacts when the user presses the actuator 10.

In addition, components other than cam may be utilized as the releasemechanism, such as, for example, portions of the ignition mechanism orhousing. The latch can have an inclined lower surface 26 shaped toassist in releasing it from the catch mechanism. One skilled in the artwould appreciate that the release mechanism 14 may be sized, shaped andconfigured to apply different forces or combinations of forces to thelatch member 16 and the catch mechanism 22. For example, the releasemechanism 14 may apply a force on one component before the other or therelease mechanism 14 may only impart a force on the latch member 16 butnot the catch mechanism 22 or vice versa. Further, one skilled in theart would appreciate that the forces imparted on the catch mechanism 22and latch member 16 by the release mechanism 14 can occur at differentlocations than those illustrated or can occur simultaneously or atdifferent times, again depending on the size, shape and configuration ofthe release mechanism 14, latch member 16 (including the tabs 40), andcatch mechanism 22. In addition, while the release mechanism of FIGS. 4,5, 6 and 7 remains stationary with respect to the lighter housing 18during operation of the lighter 8, one skilled in the art can appreciatethat the release mechanism may move with respect to the latch andlighter housing.

One skilled in the art would appreciate that connection 38 need notimpart a biasing force to return the latch to the initial blockingposition. However, the latch may be pre-loaded when assembled in thelighter such that it is bent at connection 38 so that it is biasedtowards a position which blocks or interferes with movement of theactuator as shown in FIGS. 4 a-b.

It is preferred that the lighter contain additional or alternativeforces on the latch member to improve the ability of the latch member toreturn to the blocking position over the life of the lighter. In some ofthe embodiments of the present invention, this additional or alternativebiasing force is provided by an additional flexure or bending momentimparted to the latch member. For example, a force or forces may beapplied to the latch member so that the entire latch member or at leasta portion of the latch member flexes or is imparted with a bendingmoment. The flexure or bending moment imparted to the latch member 16 toflex the latch member may be provided, for example, by configuring therelease mechanism and/or catch mechanism to apply appropriate forces tothe latch member 16 to improve the ability of the latch member to returnto the blocking position over the life of the lighter.

When the actuator is depressed as shown in FIGS. 6 a-6 b, the cam orrelease mechanism 14 imparts a force to the lower surface 26 of thelatch member 16 to flex the bottom portion of the latch member 16outwardly as the cam spreads apart the side skirts 36 to release thetabs 40. As the actuator 10 travels upward toward its initial positionas shown in FIGS. 7 a-7 b, the release mechanism 14, is disengaged fromthe latch member 16 and side skirts 36. As the cam 14 disengages fromthe side skirts 36, the gap between the side skirts and latch member 16closes. As the side skirts close, the tabs 40 of latch member 16 are onthe outside surface 46 of the catch mechanism as the cam surface 42disengages from the lower end 26 of the latch so that the tabs 40contact and press against the outer surface 46 of the catch mechanism 22as the latch member 16 travels back up towards its initial position. Thepressing of the tabs 40 against the catch mechanism 22 keeps the bendingor flexing force on the bottom portion of the latch member 16 to flex orbend the latch. The latch flexes or bends until the latch member 16returns to its blocking position.

The latch member and the catch mechanism preferably are configured sothat the latch member does not re-engage with the catch mechanismwithout assistance from a user as a result of the forces applied to thetabs on the latch by the outside surface of the catch mechanism in orderto flex the latch. In other words, the latch member 16 preferably isconfigured and adapted so that the forces imparted by its flexing do notcause the latch member 16 to re-engage with the catch mechanism 22without assistance from the user.

In this embodiment, the stop 20 may act as a fulcrum 50 which contactsthe housing and counter acts the force imparted on the tabs 40 of thelatch by the catch mechanism 22. One skilled in the art wouldappreciate, however, that portions of the latch member other than thestop 20 may contact the housing or similar structure to provide acounteracting force until the latch is free to move into a blockingposition. For instance, the upper edge of the housing 18 could act as afulcrum and apply a counteracting force against the latch member 16until the stop 20 is moved above the housing. In any embodiment using afulcrum, the fulcrum may be positioned at any location along the lengthof the latch member 16 although it is preferred that the fulcrum bepositioned between the connection 38 and the force imparted to the latchmember 16 to flex the latch member.

As the actuator 10 returns to its initial position, the latch movesupwards in its flexed state until the stop is free to return to itsblocking position. Once the stop is above the housing, the forcesimparted by the catch mechanism are no longer counterbalanced and thelatch moves into its blocking position, where it may or may not furthercontact the catch mechanism. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5, 6and 7 the clearance or gap 52 between the tabs 40 and the catchmechanism 22 (the tongues 6) when the latch is in the initial positionof FIGS. 4 a-b may be on the order of 0.1-0.2 mm, although these valuesare only exemplary and should not be limiting.

While FIG. 7 a-b illustrates latch member 16 flexing along its entirelength, the latch member and components of the lighter may be sized,shaped and configured to flex the latch member only along a portion ofits length or to flex the latch member 16 in multiple locations alongits length. For example, the portion between mechanical stop 20 andlatch lower surface 26 or between the mechanical stop 20 and connection38 or other locations and portions may be adapted and configured toflex.

Alternatively, other parts of the lighter besides the catch mechanismmay be used to apply a bending or flexing force on the latch. Thebending or flexing force may be applied to the latch as it is releasedor forced from the catch mechanism, or applied to the latch during itstravel up towards its blocking position. For instance, the releasemechanism 14 may be configured and adapted so that it continues to applyan outwardly force on the lower surface 26 of the latch member 16 fromwhen it is released from the catch mechanism until the actuator 10returns to its initial position. One skilled in the art could envisionmany variations of the size and configuration of the latch member 16,tabs 40, side skirts 36, cam and various other structures to impart aforce to the latch to flex or bend the latch without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 a, the latch member ismoved into a ready position and held in position by a catch mechanismwhich is not shown. When the user depresses actuator 10 as illustratedin FIG. 8 b, the lower portion 126 of latch 116 contacts portion 158 ofthe piezoelectric ignition mechanism 132 and dislodges the latch 116from its ready position by applying an outwardly force on lower surface126 to move tabs 140 (not shown) out of the catch mechanism (not shown).Once the latch member is dislodged from its ready position, thepiezoelectric ignition mechanism continues to apply a force on the latch116 to move it in an outwardly direction until the actuator has almostreturned fully to its non-activated or initial position.

The forces applied to the latch member 116 by the piezoelectric ignitionmechanism are counteracted by the stop member 120 acting as a fulcrum150 as it is pushed against lighter housing 118. The latch member 116flexes or bends which encourages the latch member to return to theblocking position after the user has completed using the lighter. As theactuator and latch member travel upwardly, the stop member 120eventually passes above the lighter housing 118 and the latch member 116is moved to its initial position (FIG. 8 c) by the forces imparted onthe latch by the piezoelectric ignition mechanism. Stated differently,the flexing of the latch member creates a reactive force to return thelatch member to the locked position after the actuator returns to itsinitial, at rest, position.

As would be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the forces applied tothe latch member 116 may be applied at any location along the latchmember, such as, for example, at a location below the stop member 20, asshown in FIG. 8 b. It is preferred, however, that the forces are appliedat a location near the lower end 126 of the latch. Furthermore, otherlighter components or additional structure also may be configured andadapted to flex the latch member to the blocking position instead of thepiezoelectric ignition mechanism.

Additional biasing forces to return latch member 16 to its initialblocking position may also be provided by a spring 45, as shown in FIG.9. As would be readily appreciated by one skilled in the art, the spring45 may be configured and adapted to provide a force sufficient to biasthe latch member 16 toward its blocking position while not impartingenough force to prematurely disengage the latch member 16 from the catchmechanism 22. Examples of spring types that may be used include a leafspring, torsion spring or a helical spring, although no particular typeof spring is preferred over another. The spring 45 also may work incombination with additional structures to bias the latch member 16toward its blocking position, such as in any of the embodimentsdescribed herein. For instance, the spring 45 may be used in combinationwith the cam or catch mechanism 22 applying a force on the latch memberas described in the embodiments above.

The interaction between the release mechanism 14, catch mechanism 22 andlatch member 16 to free the latch member 16 from the catch mechanism 22may be accomplished in a number of ways without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. For example, the release mechanism 14may be configured and adapted to apply a releasing force on the latchmember 16 at all times, even when the latch member 16 is in a blockingposition and the lighter 8 is not in use. In this embodiment, therelease mechanism 14 may be configured and adapted so that the forcesimparted to the latch member 16 are insufficient to prematurely releasethe latch member 16 from the catch mechanism 22 but can increase as theactuator 10 is pressed by a user.

In yet another embodiment, illustrated in FIGS. 10 a-10 h, the catchmechanism 222 remains stationary relative to the lighter housing 218. InFIGS. 10 a-b the latch 216 is shown in its initial blocking positionwhere stop 220 interferes with housing 218 and tabs 240 are on theoutside surface 246 of the catch mechanism 222. In this embodiment thecatch mechanism 222 has an elongated slot 248 through which the latchmember 216 is inserted when pressed inwardly by a user. As shown in FIG.10 c-d, the latch member 216, and more particularly tabs 240, engage thecatch mechanism 222, and more specifically tab holding members 243, atthe top end of the slot 248 so that the latch member 216 is held in aready position. As the user presses the actuator 210, the latch member216 travels along the inside surface of the catch mechanism 222 untilthe latch member 216 contacts the release mechanism 214 as shown inFIGS. 10 e-f. As the actuator is further pressed by the user, therelease mechanism 214 applies a force which releases the latch member216 from the catch mechanism 222, and flexes the latch.

As the actuator 210 moves upward toward its initial position, the latchmember 216 and more particularly tabs 240 travel along the outer surface246 of the catch mechanism 222 flexing latch 216 as illustratively shownin FIGS. 10 g-h until the latch member 216 returns to its blockingposition. In this embodiment, the slot 248 of the catch mechanism 222may be configured and adapted to be more flexible or pliable at theportion of the slot 248 where the latch member 216 engages the slot 248and/or the portion where the latch member disengages the slot, whilehaving more rigid portions preventing the latch member 16 fromre-engaging with the catch mechanism 222 as the latch member 216 isreturning to its initial blocking position. As one skilled in the artcan appreciate the shape, size, configuration, materials and dimensionsof the tabs, latch member and catch mechanism can be designed andadapted so that the force to engage, retain and release the latch membercan be tailored to specific design criteria and needs so that thecomponents will interact and release under desirable forces at thedesired time and location during motion of the actuator pad.

The present invention is not limited to the structure described above;rather, all reasonable variations are intended to be included within thescope of the claims. For example, one skilled in the art wouldappreciate that the catch mechanism and latch member may be sized andconfigured in many ways to hold the latch member in a ready positionwhen desired by a user while also allowing for the latch member to bereleased from the catch mechanism once the actuator is activated. Inaddition, other mechanisms other than those shown and described hereincan impart a flexure or bending moment to the latch member to assist thelatch in returning to its blocking position during the life of thelighter and should be included within the spirit and scope of theinvention. Moreover, the embodiments above can be modified so that somefeatures of one embodiment may be used with the features of anotherembodiment. For instance, a spring may be used in combination with aflexing latch member to further assist returning the latch member to ablocking position after the actuator is released by the user. It isintended that the present invention cover all such modifications andembodiments as falling within its true spirit and scope.

1. A lighter comprising: a housing having a fuel supply; an ignitionmechanism for igniting the fuel; an actuator for releasing fuel from thefuel supply and operating the ignition mechanism; a latch member havingan upper end, a lower end, and a blocking portion, the latch memberbeing integrally coupled at the upper end to the actuator, the latchmember being movable between a blocked position where in an interferingposition the blocking portion abuts a portion of the housing blockingdownward movement of the actuator and a ready position where theblocking portion does not block movement of the actuator, the latchmember being elastic so that the latch member is biased with a firstbiasing force to return to the blocked position, wherein the lower endhas a latch lower surface that is angled; a biasing component configuredand adapted to impart a second biasing force to at least a portion ofthe latch member so that the latch member is further biased toward theblocked position by the biasing component; a catch mechanism, comprisingone or more side skirts, sized and configured to receive and maintainthe latch member when the latch member is moved from the blockedposition to the ready position; and a cam attached to the ignitionmechanism to release the latch member from the catch mechanism, whereinthe cam comprises one or more angled side surfaces configured to engagethe one or more side skirts causing the one or more side skirts to flexaway from the lower end of the latch member when a user presses theactuator to operate the lighter.
 2. The lighter of claim 1, wherein thebiasing component is a spring.
 3. The lighter of claim 1, wherein thebiasing component is an additional bending moment on the latch member.4. The lighter of claim 1, wherein the latch member is configured andadapted such that a portion of the latch member besides the integralcoupling to the actuator flexes to produce the second biasing force. 5.The lighter of claim 1, wherein the latch member and the housing aresized and configured to exert the second biasing force.
 6. The lighterof claim 1, further comprising a release mechanism to release the latchmember from the catch mechanism, the release mechanism being configuredand adapted to impart the second biasing force on the lower end of thelatch member in order to flex the latching member.
 7. The lighter ofclaim 1, wherein the second biasing force causes a portion of the latchmember to flex.
 8. The lighter of claim 1, further comprising a releasemechanism to release the latch member from the catch mechanism, thelatch member and the release member are sized and configured so thatafter the latch member is disengaged from the catch mechanism, the latchmember rests against an outer surface of the catch mechanism in order toapply the second biasing force to the latch member.
 9. The lighter ofclaim 1, wherein the lighter further includes a cam attached to theignition mechanism, the cam being configured and adapted to apply thesecond biasing force on the lower end of the latch member.
 10. Thelighter of claim 1, wherein the blocking portion is a stop member. 11.The lighter of claim 1, wherein the catch mechanism comprises the atleast one side skirt projecting away from the actuator.
 12. A lightercomprising: a housing having a fuel supply; an ignition mechanism forigniting the fuel; an actuator for releasing fuel from the fuel supplyand operating the ignition mechanism; a latch member having an upperend, a lower end, and a blocking portion, the latch member beingintegrally coupled at the upper end to the actuator, the latch memberbeing movable between a blocked position where in an interferingposition the blocking portion abuts a portion of the housing blockingdownward movement of the actuator and a ready position where theblocking portion does not block movement of the actuator; the latchmember being elastic so that the latch member is biased to return to theblocked position, wherein the lower end has a latch lower surface thatis angled; a biasing component configured and adapted to impart a secondbiasing force to at least a portion of the latch member so that thelatch member is further biased toward the blocked position by thebiasing component; a catch mechanism comprising one or more side skirts,having a length, extending longitudinally along the housing from theactuator sized and configured to receive and maintain the latch memberwhen the latch member is moved from the blocked position to the readyposition; and a cam attached to the ignition mechanism to release thelatch member from the catch mechanism, wherein the cam comprises one ormore angled side surfaces configured to engage the one or more sideskirts causing the one or more side skirts to flex away from the lowerend of the latch member when a user presses the actuator to operate thelighter.
 13. The lighter of claim 12, wherein the biasing component is aspring.
 14. The lighter of claim 12, wherein the biasing component is anadditional bending moment on the latch member.
 15. The lighter of claim12, wherein the latch member is configured and adapted such that aportion of the latch member besides the integral coupling to theactuator flexes to produce the second biasing force.
 16. The lighter ofclaim 12, wherein the latch member and the housing are sized andconfigured to exert the second biasing force.
 17. The lighter of claim12, wherein the cam imparts the second biasing force on the lower end ofthe latch member in order to flex the latching member.
 18. The lighterof claim 12, wherein the latch member and the cam are sized andconfigured so that after the latch member is disengaged from the catchmechanism, the latch member rests against an outer surface of the catchmechanism in order to apply the second biasing force to the latchmember.
 19. The lighter of claim 12, wherein the cam is configured andadapted to apply the second biasing force on the lower end of the latchmember.
 20. The lighter of claim 12, wherein the blocking portion is astop member that resists movement of the actuator when the latch memberis in the blocked position.